31. 休士頓台灣人活動中心簡介/Brief Intro to the Houston Taiwanese Community Center

A Brief Introduction to the Taiwanese Community Center in Houston, Texas

Compiled by the Taiwanese Heritage Society of Houston

The Preparation and Construction Process

The preparatory process for the construction of the Taiwanese Community Center (TCC) can be explained in four components:

From February of 1987 until March of 1991: the Taiwanese Association of America set up a Taiwanese Community Center Fund and raised money for it by running charity auctions and asking for donations.
From March until late May of 1991: 20 representatives of the Houston Taiwanese Association of America, Taiwanese American Federal Credit Union, and Taiwanese Language School went to evaluate an old child-care center as a potential community center location. Their considerations included the suitability of the nearby community, the location, the necessary funding, and whether future expenditures and profits could be balanced. After many discussions and coordination meetings, the committee unanimously voted that the building would be appropriate for the Community Center.
From June of 1991 to October of 1991: The Taiwanese Heritage Society, which was established in 1989 with the Taiwanese Language School as its main component, was approved by the IRS as a tax-exempt non-profit in early February of 1991. On June 1^st, 1991, a general meeting was held for members of the Society. During the elections for the new director, the plan to purchase a building for the TCC was heavily supported by the association members, and the negotiation and fundraising of the project was entrusted to the new director. On October 28, the property transfer process for the new Community Center was officially completed.
From November of 1991 to July of 1992: This was a period of simultaneous fundraising and construction. On January 11^th, the Heritage Society held a very grand fundraising dinner in the newly constructed Community Center, which was attended by 300 people. Fundraising work continued through the end of April. Meanwhile, the credit union moved into the building in February, followed by the Taiwanese language school in April. The Heritage Society decided to hold its inauguration ceremony on July 11^th, and thus the new Taiwanese Community Center was officially open for business.

Funding Sources

The negotiated price for the building was $195,000. Renovation added another $100,000 to the cost, and another $10,000 was spent on miscellaneous expenses. The foundation was able to raise a total of $310,000. Of this amount, $40,000 came from the TCC Fund, $30,000 came from an interest-free loan from the Taiwanese Association of America Houston Chapter, and the rest was made up of donations from 260 different households. Twelve extremely generous individuals donated $10,000 each.

TCC Facilities

The Center is located in the southwest part of the city, only a three-minute drive from Dinghao Wellcome Supermarket, so it is very conveniently situated. TCC’s facilities include:

A 3,000 sq. ft. auditorium that can seat 300 people
An 840 sq. ft. ballroom that can hold lectures from 50-60 people
Eight 400 sq. ft. classrooms
A reading room
A meeting room
A kitchen
A children’s playground, located behind the center. Includes a 1,000 sq. ft. pavilion
A 40-car parking lot

Management

The Taiwanese Heritage Society appoints a director to lead the Center’s management committee. The other six members of the committee are representatives of other associations. The management committee is responsible for the management of the TCC, as well as balancing the Center’s revenue and expenditures. In the first four months of opening, the Center had a budget surplus. The Center’s financial success is mainly due to its three tenants: The Taiwanese American Federal Credit Union, the Taiwanese Language School, and the Houston Taiwanese Association of America.

The Result of Cooperation

After many long years of effort, the Taiwanese community of the Houston area was able to establish a number of organizations in succession: the Taiwanese Association of America Houston Chapter (1970), the Taiwanese American Federal Credit Union (1975), the Taiwanese Language School (1985), and the Greater Dallas Taiwanese Chamber of Commerce (1987). Thus, the construction of the new Taiwanese Community Center is all thanks to the assistance of cooperation of these many organizations, as well as the enthusiastic support of local Taiwanese Americans.